O7

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O7 was the name of a Munich resistance group against National Socialism . The group, whose members came from different political directions, took action especially in the final phase of the Second World War , when they worked together with the Bavarian Freedom Campaign . Leading members were Peter Göttgens and Franz Schneider.

Origin of the O7

As early as 1937, Peter Göttgens formed a small group of opponents of the National Socialists in Munich. After the beginning of the Second World War, the group was weakened by conscription and work assignments. In 1943 Göttgens met Franz Schneider, who had also built up a small resistance group. In mid-1943 they united the groups under the name O7, which stood for organization in military district VII .

The group had about 20 to 30 members and was divided into cells. Other leading members were Hans Brocksieper, Fritz Hofmann, Hans Stelzer and Georg Weiß. Political views were deliberately not discussed in order not to endanger the cohesion of the group.

Activities until 1945

The aim of the O7 was to end the war. Their activities included leaflet campaigns and anti-war slogans on house walls. Some members who worked in the Wehrmacht issued false discharge papers and disqualification certificates. The group also hid a number of people who were persecuted by the Nazis and forged food ration cards to feed them.

Although both Göttgens and Schneider (independently of each other) were briefly arrested by the Gestapo as early as 1939 after the Munich assassination attempt on Hitler and then monitored, the O7 was one of the few resistance groups that the Gestapo could not crush.

Final phase of the war

When the imminent defeat was foreseeable at the beginning of 1945, the group prepared an active and armed resistance in order to prevent a defense of Munich against the invading US army and thus to avoid further destruction and further bloodshed. To do this, she set up a hiding place with weapons that had been stolen from the armed forces.

On April 15, she distributed a leaflet entitled "The 10 Commandments to Defend Munich against War and Nazi Blood Rush", in which she called for an end to the fighting. Then she contacted Rupprecht Gerngross from the Bavarian Freedom Campaign and promised him her support. On April 27, the O7 negotiated with the Munich police chief Hans Plesch and succeeded in preventing the police from using the police to defend Munich. On April 29th, members of the O7 reinforced the Bavarian freedom campaign in the occupation of the town hall. Actions by the O7 took place in other cities near Munich, including Ebersberg , Wolfratshausen and Grafing . Party officials were arrested and government troops persuaded to stop fighting. There was a battle with the SS in Grünwald .

Even after the failure of the Bavarian Freedom Campaign, the O7 was still active, sabotaging an important Wehrmacht communications link and informing the US Army about the remaining resistance of the National Socialists in Munich.

literature

  • Gustl Müller-Dechent : Resistance in Munich - The Forgotten. 1st edition. Salzgitter 2004, ISBN 3-9809058-2-9 , pp. 81-92 ( PDF; 833 kB ).
  • Heike Bretschneider: Resistance to National Socialism in Munich 1933–1945. Miscellanea Bavarica Monacensia, No. 4. Stadtarchiv München, 1968, pp. 210-214.